Hi everyone, I return again from another year long absence because in the end, you lot are the only ones who really understand when it comes to hams
I somehow ended up rescuing three syrians on Wednesday morning! I need to talk about it!
Tuesday night I spot a very worrying ad on gumtree
"Hamsters are 20 pound and for all 3 its £60 each for all together and there are 3 cages comes free"
Syrians out together, yikes. Tiny cages, no bedding, no toys, look filthy, many yikes. No mention of if there are girls, boys, both. Ahhh! So I post on a local hamster fb group (as I only really have room for one) and thankfully someone else has been quicker on the ball and has already made contact. I offer to help if needs be. Turns out the seller is saying the hams need gone THAT NIGHT but isn't responding to messages. I'm not directly involved so just go to bed with fingers crossed that somebody gets to them.
Have a message the next morning from one other girl, C, who is in contact with the seller and the girl, E, who was planning to pick up all 3. A complicated grapevine at this stage. The deadline is now 12pm but E can't make it down in time as she is 90 minutes away and working. SO I get my number passed to the seller, arrange a time and skive off work (quick brb on Teams, hope nobody notices) to race up and get them, bringing the OH who is also skiving off work and a transport cage as the 3 cages in the ad has become 2 cages, one is "not good". I've been told seller absolutely will not budge on the £60 so stop at the cash machine on the way.
Turn up at the house, one tiny pink cage is already at the door when she opens it, she immediately goes to get another one. Cages exactly as seen in the ad (the pink and the grey, the rotastack is the one she wasn't going to give me) no bedding, a handful of straw, one water bottle between the three, they stink to high heaven. The third ham is brought to the door in her cupped hands and put into my travel cage. I have my old customer-service personality on full force so just get hams in the car, give her the cash, get out of there asap (seller did NOT wear a mask!). I ask if they have names, cupped hands is Corona (yes, very funny), ginger banded is Fluffles and the little dove ham in the pink cage has no name at all. All girls, thank god so no pregnancy watch. All seem fairly healthy, Fluffles looks a little chunky and very scruffy but no obvious problems.
So home they all come with me! "Corona" is digging quite happily in my transport cage, probably having never seen a decent amount of bedding before. Fluffles is trying her best to make a nest from a bare handful of straw in a moving car (heartbreaking tbh), Dove girl is hiding under a little wooden climbing frame the whole time.
Cleaned the two cages as soon as I got in the door. Both girls very happy to be scooped up and into a carrier for a few minutes, they all seem very friendly. Wasn't quick enough though as my box room still ended up smelling like pee the rest of the day. Fluffles cage was caked in what had to be months of wee, I did my best with it. The pink cage (dove girl has been dubbed Chumbawumba at this point) was better but had a 4" square of what looked to be black bin liner in with the straw?
And a plastic/ wire leg off what I think was one of those robins you hang on your xmas tree? Just so weird and dangerous.
But I get them sorted best I can with some bedding, food and water and E from earlier is on her way to pick up one that she has a home for.
Fluffles is the first to go home, me and E have a right old rant about the state of the cages. She tells me the seller said she got them all from Dublin and paid £20 each for them (sounds like lies), and she also has a kitten on gumtree that similarly needs gone today. No idea what is going on there tbh.
Another FB person, J, also has a home for one of the girls but is sorting a cage at short notice (we have been in contact since, lovely girl, great home waiting) so Chumbawumba and Corona are both staying here for a bit!
At this point I've decided Corona is not going anywhere, she looks like she might be a lunatic and anyone who remembers my username will know that is exactly my type so she's getting my Linnmon and a name change ASAP. Chumbawumba gets the spare HH until her new mum comes on Saturday and both of them get their very first sight of a wheel! Now for some nice videos of some very lucky and very VERY sweet little hams. THE END.
The air turned blue reading this but so so happy that you were able to rescue those lovely little hamsters.
As always, your wit just cracks me up....customer service personality, hahahehe....please don't go away again.
I'm delighted I was drafted in tbh, they're all very special little girls! And goodness knows what was going to happen after the 12pm deadline!
I know, why do I ever leave? Nobody else gets me like you lot do (It's actually probably because this year has been such a depressing one with hams. Lost 3 since March, hopefully this is the start of the turnaround!)
That video of all the 3 cages where they have clean bedding and food and a hide just brought tears to my eyes, at last they were safe. Good for all involved.
OMG Shannon! That’s quite some come back! I’m speechless with horror & moved to tears by the happy ending & such sweet videos, I did have to laugh when I saw “she looks like she might be a lunatic...” I knew what was coming next lol!
Amazing job by everyone involved & lovely to know that at least these three little fluffs will be happy & loved now.
I’m sorry to hear about your losses, losing three in a short time is hard, it happened to me too, but I hope this is a the start of something really lovely for you & the hams now.
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OMG Shannon! That’s quite some come back! I’m speechless with horror & moved to tears by the happy ending & such sweet videos, I did have to laugh when I saw “she looks like she might be a lunatic...” I knew what was coming next lol!
Amazing job by everyone involved & lovely to know that at least these three little fluffs will be happy & loved now.
I’m sorry to hear about your losses, losing three in a short time is hard, it happened to me too, but I hope this is a the start of something really lovely for you & the hams now.
Sorry to hear you've had an unlucky time too cypher. 2020 is just looking for as many ways to be awful as possible
But yes, so many people were looking out for these 3 which is properly heartwarming. Real community effort. I'm still in contact with the lady who took Raggie's other siblings when we got him (not such a terrible situation though!) so hopefully it will be the same with these 3 and I get to see them all blossom in loving homes. Hamster-people are the best people <3
Bonus still shots I forgot I took! You can see still-nameless girl has a perfect little heart shape on her back which is very cute.
Awww, the little heart on her back. Heart = Valentine = Valentina springs to mind, my old fashioned, long names minded mind anyway.
Losing three hams in such a short time is tough, very tough.
I lost my beloved Henry this year which was bad enough but three.
Off to a new start making hamsters happy!
Please keep us updated on your little lunatic.
Oh Henry! so sorry Ria, he was a v special little dude. It never gets any easier to say goodbye, even after a good life being well loved.
I definitely lost my hamster mojo a bit when we lost Jin so young, very suddenly and so soon after Pico. Goose kept going for much longer than we thought he would though and of course little Raggie is still with us. But these two are definitely bringing back some positivity, it does feel like a new chapter
Valentina or Val would be lovely for her :3 or even Tina! That one is on the shortlist! I have far too many ideas right now tbh.
Welcome Back Shannon - don’t go off again, we miss you! I am with everybody else here. I read it all with astonishment....something else....and relief that you and the others did such a wonderful rescue job.
Love the videos and had a huge smile at the first one with Chumbawumba battling with determination to get that monkey nut in her pouch. Terrific. Yes, rename the other pretty lady with the special markings.
More news please soon.
I lost my precious Maestro in April, just at the worst time and still miss him.
Maestro, another huge personality so sorry for your loss Coco <3
Its lovely to come back here and be reminded that there are so many people who do love these precious little gremlins as they deserve to be loved and people like that idiot off gumtree are few, but not few enough.
I have to get the hamster room sorted this evening so I can see how yet-to-be-named gets on with a spot of free roaming soon!!
A Rescue Story
(It's actually probably because this year has been such a depressing one with hams. Lost 3 since March, hopefully this is the start of the turnaround!)
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